Last night, you may have heard if you follow @ladotbikeprog and/or @lacbc on twitter, that the LADOT Bike Program has been working with the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation to develop a campaign to educate the public regarding the illegality of blocking bike lanes with trash receptacles. The campaign will be comprised of three parts; advertisements on the side of Bureau of Sanitation vehicles, language to be included in print materials distributed to the Bureau of Sanitation’s customer base, and staff training to ensure that after pick up, trash receptacles are not deposited in bike lanes.

The Campaign

The poster will be displayed in the ad space on Bureau of Sanitation vehicles and will look similar to the rendering above. It’s primary message is to “Don’t trash the bike lane” with a tag line of “bike lanes are for bicycles, not trash cans. It’s not only unsafe. It’s illegal” while referencing the section from the California Vehicle Code that covers bike lanes.

New poster designed with your input!

Rules and Regulations

The CA Vehicle Code clearly states that bike lanes cannot be blocked or obstructed. According to the CA Vehicle Code (VC) Section 21211, which details rule and regulations regarding the obstruction of Bikeways or Bicycle Paths or Trails;

(a) No person may stop, stand, sit, or loiter upon any class I bikeway, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways Code, or any other public or private bicycle path or trail, if the stopping, standing, sitting, or loitering impedes or blocks the normal and reasonable movement of any bicyclist.

(b) No person may place or park any bicycle, vehicle, or any other object upon any bikeway or bicycle path or trail, as specified in subdivision (a), which impedes or blocks the normal and reasonable movement of any bicyclist unless the placement or parking is necessary for safe operation or is otherwise in compliance with the law.

VC21211 doesn’t apply to public utility vehicles, delivery vehicles, garbage trucks, or tow vehicles so long as they are engaged in business while parked.

Targeting the Campaign

We’ll need your help in order to determine specific areas of the city where we should target the “Don’t Trash the Bike Lane” campaign. If you happen to know what bike lanes get blocked on a regular basis, be sure to leave us a comment below, or email us at ladotbikeblog (at) gmail (dot) com.